San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-12-08
CHEATING UNCLE SAM.
PEOPLE WHO ARE DULL AS TO THE
CRIME OF SMUGGLING.

the Story reid ny wealthy and In
nusntiai" business Mama Decided
Lack OF Consoientiousnsss - Hsbuks
From . Southern Woman.
There Il a great deal said as to the alb
sence of moral sense In women about
smuggling and similar crimes, but II Is a
very sad fact that this sort OF obtuseness
has no sex. IL Is certainly moro excusa-
BILE In women than In men. They are
hardly dnder the same moral obligations
20 the government rs are tho men who
make t.; they are less familiar through
out their lives with m oral issues In which
abstract principles rather than senti-
ment-of humanity, OF honor or OF affec-
tion-govern; they have usually (when
above the criminal classes) no experience
OF law as matter of conduct; that they
are generally little dull rs to the crime
OF smuggling or Of bribery is lamentable,
but II ia hardly strange With men all
these conditions are changed, and such u
conversation as the Observer listened to
last night must seem very strange TO
any one who looks at the incongruities
pertaining TO II.
A well-known, wealthy and influential
business man whose reputation for up
rightness is uncommonly brilliant had
Just returned from England, and was re-
lating details OF his landing. Among
other things, he told lat dinner-table
filed by people Of his own class) how he
managed at the custom house. "They
brought around that circular Of Dan
Manning's," he said, land It Is pretty
stiff paper, you know, big fine and good
sized imprisonment for offering any
money to custom house officials. had
IS bill in my hand as went up to one
that was attacking my worst loaded
trunk, and said, well, my friend, I'd
like very much to offer you a drink; any
way, you could take drink with meT
mo, he said; there was not any way he
could get out to get drink, but he gave
n cute look at the bill in my hand and
saw IL was all safe as far rs he was con-
cerned, and gave it to him, and we were
out Of there without further trouble in
fifteen minutes"
AS MATTER OF COURSE.
No more moral sentiment seemed to
enter this gcntleman's consciousness rs
TO this transaction than If he had been
giving a recipe for an omelstte. He was
not even Dragging about it-that would
have indicated some perception Of the
cnormity of the act, even If perverted
one. No, he simply mentioned this in n
perfectly matter Of course way in the &c
count of the afternoons doings, and
everybody seemed to listen to it in ex-
nctly the same spirit. Yet this gentle
man has been known more than once to
take lofty tone Of moral lament over
corruption in high places" and to talk
of the future Of the Republic
and Indignantly Of the way politics are
'run.' And this is how he supports the
vigorous efforts Of those In power to
purify one of the most corrupt branches
of governmental service. Noble, isn't it'
He ought to have been more ashamed to
tell Of such wanton treachery to his gov
than of private theft. And
looking Mt his course from still another
point of view, he was guilty Of trcachery
to all his fellow citizens, whose happi-
ness probably most thinking people would
agree is now more seriously threatened
by corrupt administration of the laws
and consequent growing disrespect for
the established order Of things than by
any other single evil force. Under sim
liar circumstances, few months ago, q
southern woman administered O we'll
merited rebuke. She listened to man
of position Che was "Senator So-and-So'D
tell how successfully he cheated the gov
eminent at the custom house, and when
he got through, this unregenerated
daughter of Dixie gaid, "Well, you Yam
KEGS mighty near wiped us off the face Of
the earth, you took the best and bravest
lives among us and left us in sackcloth
and ashes and with nothing else to put
on, all to keep up this government of
yours, and now you don't think enough
Of it to pay 1t what you owe 1t, but go
round telling how you beat it out Of a
few dollars by bribing and lying. must
say that that sort of patriotism is mighty
queer to me- i don't love it, but don't
propose to cheat it any more than I'd
cheat you, because I've told you what l
think of you. New York Graphic,
Casual Observer"
Patience Of Q Collector.
"Some of the clerks and deputies ut
the custom house are experiencing hard
time" says gentleman who has occa-
sion to go there very often. 81 had just
gone up on the elevator the other day,
and when got off, in order TO enter one
of the Offices, / noticed sitting partially
behind the door q dudish-looking young
clerk, who was anxiously watching the
elevator. It was late, nearly all the
other clerks having gone home, and there
was no apparent reason why this partic-
Mar one should not do so. When the
elevator stopped he inquired cautiously:
SIS he therep Yes replied the elevator
boy. and he says he is going to wait a
while for you The clerk subsidized into
his chair with sigh, and l wondered
why he did not go down and attend to
whatever business the waiting man
wanted.
II was In the office several minutes,
and the elevator came up on n second
trip. Again the clerk asked the boy: is
he still waiting? Yes replied the boy,
and he is sitting in chair right in the
hall, where you will have to pass him.
He says he knows you are in the building
and he is going 20 wait in the
hall until tomorrow morning II he can't
catch you before This aroused my curl
osity, and as I went down ] looked for
the man. There was no mistaking his
sharp, quick features, well-worn shoes,
and the bill book under his arm lie was
a collector, and he had his game freed,
I ,isd NO. s.av IN see the spouel Int sun